Bottle-conveyer.



W. WACHS & R. L. GALLUP. BOTTLE CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY12,1916.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET l- Aitys.

W. WACHS & R. L. GALLUP.

BOTTLE CONVEYER. APPLICATION FILED-MAY 1;, 1916.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Ira/01211101" w. wAcHs & R. L.eALLuP. some co'nvsvani APPLICATION FILED MAY 12-. I9l6."

Patented Jan. 23,1917.

3 spans-SHEET}.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WKLTER WACHS AND ROCKWELL L. GALLUP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOTTLE-CONVEYER.

Original application filed September 1, 1915, Serial No. 48.423. Divided and this application filed 1916. Serial No. 96,974.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WALTER WACHS and RooKwnLL L. GALLUP, both citizens of the ments in Bottle-Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates ingeneral to bottlehandling mechanisms and has more particular reference to a conveyer by means of which bottles are conveyed through a bottle-washing or other similar machine, the present application constituting a division of our application, Serial No. 48,423, filed September 1, 1915, for bottle washing machines.

One of the primary objects of our present invention is to provide" a bottle-conveyer which, without the use of bottle crates or cases, will be adapted to carry a plurality of rows of bottles simultaneously through a machine.

.Another object of the invention is to provide a conveyor which will be adapted to receive the bottles in inverted position and which, as the co'nveyer travels along, will automatically embrace the necks of the bottles on the conveyer and prevent their withdrawal or disengagement from the conveyer so that they will be carried suspended in upright position when passing through the soaking tank in the lower part of the bottle-washing machine.

Still another object is to provide mechanismfor automatically opening and closing the bottle-clamping means at predetermlned positions of. the conveyer during its travel so that the bottlescan be freely removed from and replaced on the conveyer during aportion of the travel of the conveyer but will be 'securely clamped and locked to the conveyor during another'portion of its travel.

Still another object is to provide a conveyer which will be simple in construction but strong and durable in operation, and which can be manufactured .at reasonable cost and readily assembled in a machine.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of our invention we have illustrated on the accompanying drawings prac tical and preferred embodiments thereof but it will be readily appreciated, as the invention is better understood, that the structural Specification. of Letters Patent.

May 12,

details are capable of considerable modification and variation and that the invention is not circumscribed by the details of construction, which are shown herein merely for purposes of illustration.

. Referring to the drawings-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bottle-washing machine embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of our novel conveyer;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4. is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4:4 of Fig.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917. v

2; Fig. 5 is a similar View showing the posi- 1 tion of the parts when the bottles are suspended in upright position on the lower lap of the conveyor; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of another form of bottle holder; Fig. 7 is an end elevation of thevconstruction shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 6 but showing the clamping jaws in open position; and Fig. 9 is an elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 8.

In Fig. 1 we have illustrated in a general way a bottle-washing machine in whichour conveyer is adapted to be employed. This machine comprises a long narrow tank 11, preferably made of sheet metal, supported upon a suitable frame constructed of angle iron or other material possessing suflicient strength and rigidity. This tank is adapted to contain a soaking solution, preferably caustic soda, whichis maintained at the requisite temperature by longitudinally disposed heating coils (not shown), the inlet and outlet ends of these coils being designated by reference character 12. Our improved conveyer, which is in the general form of an endless chain, is adapted to travel upon a suitable track, or tracks, 13 so that the upper lap of the conveyer travels substantially flush with the top of the tank while the lower lap travels upon a track 14 within the tank so that the bottles are suspended in upright position in the soaking solution. These tracks 13 and 14 are preferably of channel-shaped construction, as shown in Figs. 2 to 9 inclusive.

The conveyer shown comprises a series of links consisting of side members 15 and 16 pivotally connected together by pins 17.'10E

mounted upon the pins 17 between the side members and adapted to travel in the channel-shaped tracks 13 and 14. My invention contemplates, however, variations in the form and arrangement of the links and also in the construction and arrangement of the tracks upon which the chain is carried. The bottles to be operated upon are introduced into the sockets 19 on the upper lap of the conveyer in inverted position, one of the bottles being shown positioned in a socket in Fig. 4. As the bottle passes around the end of the conveyer it'is inverted so that it is in upright position on the lower lap of the conveyer, and for the purpose of preventing the bottles from dropping out of the sockets and for holding them in suspended upright position during their travel through the soaking solution we have provided bottle-holding means which will now be described. Since each link 18 is equipped with a bottle socket and a bottle. holding means, and since all the sockets and bottle holding devices are substantially alike, a detailed description of one' of them will be sufficient for an understanding of this invention. Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, it will be observed that just beneath each socket there is pivotally mounted upon a pivot pin'24 a pair of clamping or holding jaws 25. The pin 24 is inserted through an opening in the casting which forms the bottle socket and is held in position therein by a cotter pin 26 or other suitable device. The jaws are shaped as shown in Fig. 2 so that when opened they do not extend within the inner perimeter of the bottle socket, but when moved to closed position, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, they embrace the neck of the bottle 23 just below the head thereof and thereby prevent the bottle from being withdrawn from the socket. The jaws are normally held in closed position by a coiled contraction spring 27 attached at its ends to the jaws 25 by pins or screws 28. It will thus be understood that when the jaws are held in closed position by the spring a bottle in the socket will be embraced by the jaws and held in the socket so that it is suspended in upright position from the conveyer during its travel through the soaking solution in the tank 11. L

For the purpose of maintaining the bottle-holding jaws in open position during a portion of the travel of the conveyer upon its upper lap so that clean bottles may be removed and dirty bottles may be placed in the sockets, we have provided mechanism for retaining the jaws in open position durmg the requisite length of their travel. With this end in view each jaw is provided with a downwardly projecting finger 29 and beneath the path of the sockets there are mounted suitable jaw-opening devices 31 of substantially channel-shaped construction,

as shown in Fig. 2. These devices 31 are of the requisite length to maintain the holding aws in open position for the required length of time and their side walls converge at each end to provide inclined or cam faces 32 which pass between the fingers 29 as the carrier travels toward the left, viewing Fig. 2. It will be obvious that as the conveyer travels along the jaws will be gradually opened by engagement of the fingers 29 with the cam surfaces 32 and will be retained in open position to permit withdrawal and reinsertion of bottles until they travel off from the opening devices. In order to prevent the jaws from closing too abruptly the opposite ends of the devices 31 are also provided with inclined surfaces 33, as shown in Fig.2, which permit the jaws to close gradually under the influence of the springs 27. In Fig. 2 the clamping aws are shown in open position; in Fig. 4 the aws are shown in the same position with a bottle positioned in the socket, and in Fig. 5 the jaws are shown in closed position to hold a bottle on the lower lap of the conveyer 1n upright position in the socket.

In the construction just described the opening devices 31 are relied upon to ma ntain the holding jaws in open position while the sockets are traveling a considerable d1stance. Engagement of the fingers 29, however, with the sides of the opening devices results in a considerable amount of friction, and for the purpose of relieving this friction we have provided an alternative construction, shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, in which the holding jaws are positively locked in open position instead of being held open by the devices 31. The bottle sockets and the clamping jaws themselves are substantially the same in this construction as that previously described but the forward end of each jaw beyond the pivot pin is provided with an extension, one of which is indicated by reference character 34 and the other by 35. Upon the extension 34 a latch 36 is pivotally mounted upon a pin 37 this latch being equipped on its lower edge intermedlate its ends with a shoulder 38 adapted to engage, when the jaws are in open position, with an opposed shoulder 39 on the extension 35 to thereby lock the jaws in open position as shown in Fig. 8. A spring 41 overlying the latch normally urges the latch into locklng position.

The jaws, as has been previously explained, are closed during the greater portion of their travel, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, and for the purpose of opening them at the requisite time an opening device 42 having inclined upstanding walls 43 similar to the inclined surfaces 32 previously described is employed. When the fingers 29 slide along the surfaces 43 the jaws are moved to open position so that the shoulder 38 of the tion which they assume when a bottle isclamped in the socket and, as the socket travels along, the fingers 29 engage with the inclined surfaees 43 and the jaws are moved to open position-and locked in open position as shown in Fig. 8. The release of the latch to permit closing of the jaws is efiected by a stationary device 44 provided with an' inclined end 45 which is positioned in the path of travel of the projecting end of the latch 36, and when the outer end of the latch travels up the incline 45 the shoulder 38' is lifted from engagement with the shoulder 39, thereby permitting the jaws to be closed by the spring 27. For the purpose of preventing the jaws from snapping together too quickly and causing injury to thebottle a device 46 similar in construction to the rear end of the device 31 is employed, and this device is so positioned with respect to the latch-releasing device 44 that when the latch is released the jaws are momentarily held against closing movement by the inclined surfaces 47. As, the socket travels along, however, these surfaces permit the jaws to gradually close and embrace the bottle neck without liability of injury to the bottle. In order to insure that the jawswill properly center when in closed positionwe 1 prefer to provide a centrally disposed upwardly extending abutment 47 which will limit the closing movements of both jaws.

It will be manifest that thelatch 36 performs the function-of the elongated parallel portions of the device 31, but by locking the jaws in open position the prolonged friction of the fingers 39 against the sides of the opening devices 31 is eliminated.

While our improved conveyer and bottleholder may be employed in machines of various types and may be operated by any suitable mechanism we have, in the present instance, shown forpurposes of illustration so much of the driving mechanism as is necessary for an understanding of the manner in which the conveyer is actuated. Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be observed thatpower is applied to the machine by a belt 48 driven in any suitable manner and that the conveyer is intermittently propelled by a bell crank lever 49 fulcrumed at 51, one arm of the lever (not shown) being adapted to be oscillated by a revolving crank connected with the gear train,.illustrated, and the other arm being equipped with a pawl 52 shaped to engage the rollers 21 in parted to the conveyer. Since the partieular mechanism by which this movement of the bell crank lever is effected is not material to our present invention further illustration *and description of this mechanism is not believed to be necessary.

It will be understood from the foregoing that we have provided a conveyer which receives and carries the bottles individually, permits them to be removed and replaced on the upper lap of the conveyer and se curely clamps them to the conveyer so that they are carried in suspended upright positionon the lower lap of the conveyer through the soaking solution in the machine. The opening and closing of the bottle holding clamps is entirely automatic in operation, and while they securely hold the bottles in position all danger of injury to the bottles resulting from, the operation of the clamps is obviated.

Since our invention resides more particularly in the bottle holding mechanism which is adapted for inclusion in conveyer chains of various constructions it should be obvious that our invention is. not restricted to the form of chain herein shown and described and which was selected for purposes of illustration merely.

We claim:

1. A bottle conveyer, comprising a bottleholder consisting of a socket, a pair of clamping jaws mounted adjacent to saidsocket, a spring for normally closing said jaws about the neck of a. bottle in position in said socket, means for opening said jaws against the force of said spring, and means for preventing a rapid closing movement of said jawssuch as would injure a bottle in said socket. H

2. A bottle conveyer, comprising, a bottle-- holder consisting of a socket, a pair of pivoted bottle-holding jaws mounted at one endof said socket, a spring for normally holding said jaws in closed position, means for opening said jaws against the action of said spring, and means for locking said aws in open position.

3. The combination of a conveyer comprising a series of pivotally connected links, each link being provided with bottle-receiving means, a bottle-holder mounted on each vided with bottle-supporting elements, a pair of jaws pivoted on each of said elements, a spring for closing each pair of jaws to hold a bottle therein, stationary means for opening said jaws at a predetermined point in the travel of the conveyer and means for maintaining said jaws in open position during a predetermined travel of said conveyer.

5. The combination of a conveyer, bottle holders mounted thereon, each comprising a pair of pivotally mounted jaws, means for normally holding said jaws in closed position, mechanism for opening said jaws at a predetermined point in the travel of the conveyer, a latch for locking said jaws in open position, and means for automatically releasing said latch. i

6. The combination of an. endless conveyer, bottle sockets disposed side by side on said conveyer and carried thereby, a pair of clamping jaws pivotally mounted adjacent to each socket, springs for normally closing said jaws, fingers projecting from said jaws, and stationary cam-shaped devices mounted in the path of travel'of said fingers whereby the fingers are forced apart against the action of said springs to thereby open said jaws.

7. The combination of an endless conveyer provided with laterally projecting 7 arms, a bottle socket carried by each arm, a

pair of jaws pivoted to each socket, a spring normally tending to close said jaws, a stationary cam device for opening the jaws against the action of said spring, a latch mounted to lock said jaws in open position, and a stationary device for releasing said latch at a predetermined point in the travel of the conveyer to thereby permit the jaws to close under the action of said springs.

8. The combination of an endless conveyer, a bottle socket mounted thereon, a pair of bottle clamping jaws mounted adja cent to said socket, means for positively opening said jaws, and means for positively locking said jaws in open position.

9. The combination of a conveyer, bottle clamping and holding means mounted thereon, a spring normally urging said holding means into closed position, mechanism for opening said means against the force of said spring, and a latch for holding said means .in open position.

10. The combination of a conveyer, a plurality of bottle holding clamps carried there by, stationary means for positively opening said clamps in succession, means for positively locking said clamps in open position, and stationary means for releasing said locks in succession.

WALTER WACHS. ROCKWELL L. GALLUP. 

